Fruit-pltter



(M0de1.)

0. A. (JURRAN-i FRUIT PITTER.

Patented Apr. 24, 1883.

A x a N PETERS. Phmo-Lilhngnpher. Washington. By C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. OURRAN, OF ALBANY, OREGON.

FRUIT-PITTEFL- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,365,dated April 24, 1883. Applicationfiled January 2, 1883. (Model) To allwhom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GURRAN, of Albany, inthe county of Linn and State of Oregon, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fruit-Fitting Machines; and I do hereby-declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form partof this specification,in which-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine, showing the plunger andknife up. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the plunger down. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section taken in the plane in dicated by dotted line as won Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view showing the pit-knives, which are attachedto the hinged section of the bed.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on fruit-pittingmachines; and the nature of my invention. consists in avertically-reciprocating plunger bearing a dividingknife, a cup-shapedfruit-holder formed of two hinged sections, and a tripping-hook fortiltingpone of said sections to discharge the pits; also, in combiningwith saidcup-shaped holder two knives, which will cut the skin of thefruit, so that the pits will pass out without bruising the fruit; also,in novel means for actuating the plunger and the dividing-knife, all ofwhich will be fully understood from the following description, whentaken in connection with the annexed drawings.

A designates the base of the machine, which is constructed with a narrowextension, B. This extension has hinged to it a section, B, and the twoare bored out so as to form a hemispherical cup or fruit-holder, a,through the bottom of which is a hole, I), for allowing the discharge ofthe pits. It will be seen that one half of thecupais formed in theextensionB and the other half in the section B; also, that this lattersection-is hinged at its upper edge to the extension B. If desired, thecup a may be lined with a vitreous substance, or any other substancewhich will not corrode.

. G C designatetwoknives,which are secured by pivots to the inner faceof thesection B, and which are so arranged that they will cut throughthe skin of the fruit and allow the pit to be discharged withoutbruising the fruit.

The knife 0 is acted on by a spring, I), which allows it to yield duringthe act of discharging the pits.

D designates a standard having an overhanging arm, 1). This standard andits arm afford bearings for a horizontal oscillating shaft, E, bearingon one end abalance-wheel, F, which may be provided with a crank-handlefor turning it by hand; but I prefer to turn this wheel by means of atreadle. This is of fected as follows: The wheel F has a groovedperiphery, in which is applied a treadle-rope, F, which is secured atone point to the rim of this wheel. On the shaft E is coiled a spiralspring, Gr, one end of which is secured to this shaft and the otherendis secured to the standard D. When the treadle is depressed the wheeland its shaft will be turned in one direction, and when the foot isreleased fromthe treadle the spring G will turn the wheel and its shaftin. the opposite direction. A spurwhee], H, is keyed on the shaft E,which engages with a vertically-movable rack-bar, J, that works inguides c c on the arm 11). To the lower end of the bar J is rigidlysecured a double-beveled knife, K, for dividing the fruit, and over thisa cup-shaped plunger, L, is looselyapplied, which is partly splitvertically and held down on the back of the knife M by means of a coiledspring, N.

P designates a spring tripping'hook, which is secured to the rack-bar J,and which is designed for tilting the section B at every upward strokeof the said bar and its plungerby engaging with a hp, 0, on the saidsection. When the section B is released from the hook P a spring, S,will return this section to a position for receiving the fruit.

When fruit is put into the cup at and the wheel and shaft are turned inthe direction indicated by the arrow on the drawings, the knife M andits plunger L will descend together until the plunger covers and holdsthe fruit in the cup. The plunger will then cease to descend, but theknife will continue its descent and divide the fruit into halves. At thesame time the stone or pit will be forced from it, and the hook P willengage with the lip on the hinged section B. When the treadle isreleased the plunger and knife will be raised by the recoil of thespring Gr. At the same time the hook I? will tilt the section B andallow the pit to drop from the machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 18-

1. In a pitting-machine, the combination, with a plunger and knife, ofthe extension of the base A, and the hinged section B,having afruit-holding cup, at, and the knives O 0, substantially in the mannerdescribed.

2. 1n apitting-machine, the combination of the spring tilting-hook onthe plunger-bar with the lip on the hinged scctionB and the spring whichacts to hold down this section, substantially as described.

3. In a fruit-pitting machine, the cupped sectional base B B, incombination with the double-beveled knife and the spring-actuatedyielding plunger, constructed and adapted to operate substantiallyin themanner and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the base A with its cupped portions B B, thestandard with its spring-actuated shaft, the spur-Wheel on this shaft,the rack-bar, the spring-actuated plunger, and the dividing-knife, allconstructed and adapted to operate substantially in the manner and forthe purposes described.

5. In a fruit-pitting machine, the combination of a slittedspring-actuated plunger, the double-bex'eled knife, and thevertically-movable rod, to which said plunger and knife are applied, allconstructed and adapted to operate substantially in the manner and forthe purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aftix my signaturein presence ot-two witnesses.

CHARLES A. GURRAN.

Witnesses:

J. K. WEATHERFORD, D. R. N. BLACKBURN.

